Fear: Listening List

Halloween, an entire holiday predicated on fear, is around the corner. Fear comes in so many shapes and sizes. Some people avoid it and others seek it out explicitly. It can be used to hinder us and to motivate us. So, this month’s listening list is all about the power of fear. If you are in search of scary stories, check out a previous listening list on Halloween & Scary Stories.

Listen to these 3 episodes about fear

TED Radio Hour – What We Fear. Interviews with five TED speakers who explore fear, why people experience fear, and what we can do with it.

Memory Palace – I’m Still Alive! There was a time when there was a real fear of being buried alive. That’s because it actually happened a lot. This episode delves into some of the horrifying stories that accompany the true events when people have realized too late that they’ve buried a loved one alive.

Hidden Brain – Episode 6: The Science of Fear. Why do some people love being scared while others hate it? This episode investigates that question and looks at the science behind fear.

Conversation starters

All of the PBC meetings follow their own format and we always encourage chapters to do what feels right for their group. But, if you want some conversation starters, you can start here. Also, feel free to comment about these questions or others in the comments section below, in the Facebook group, or on twitter (for this listening list use the hashtag #pbcfear)!

• Do you think of fear as a weakness?
• What is your ultimate fear (outside of death)?
• How does death play into fear?
• What is your favorite type of immortality story (elixir, resurrection, living on as a spirit/soul, or legacy)?
• What can fear teach us/what is the purpose of fear?
• In the TED Radio Hour podcast, Chris Hadfield rode a rocketship into space, what’s the scariest thing you’ve done?
• Astronauts train for months to prepare themselves for the launch, what do you do to manage your fear/s?
• As heard on the TED Radio Hour podcast: If given the choices of the men on the whaleship Essex (the potential to encounter rumored cannibals, the likelihood of encountering deadly storms, or the possibility of starving on the way to South America), which would you choose?
• In the TED Radio Hour podcast, David Blaine calls his daughter fearless. How much do you think that has to do with the fact that he is quite fearless?
• In the TED Radio Hour podcast, David Blaine says that he’s not afraid of failure. Are you?
• How do we tell the difference between the fears we should listen to and the ones we should let go?
• What makes horror movies/haunted houses so popular?
• How does fear cloud judgement? Is there a decision you made that was clouded by fear? Is there a decision that you would make if you weren’t afraid?
• Would you want to go through the Scare House (as heard on the Hidden Brain episode)?
• We’re going morbid with this last question: What would be worse, being buried alive or discovering that you unknowingly buried a loved one alive?